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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bore — to tire
  9. land — to come down
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — a hat
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. root — of a word
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kid — child
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com